Chowhound Post: Where to eat in Park Slope

"Hi everyone, My husband and I are going to a show at Southpaw tonight in Park Slope and we're looking for someplace to have dinner nearby. We're looking for someplace that: 1. is relatively close to Southpaw, which is at 5th and St. Johns (we don't mind some walking)
2. is not Thai food
3. has entrees around $10-15 (i.e. someplace not too expensive) Also, we're going to eat around 7pm and we'd prefer not to have to wait more than, say, 30 minutes for a table. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!"
signed...

"Help! Dinner in P. Slope"

In Reply To: Help! Dinner in P.Slope tonight-See details
Posted by empecot on February 03, 2006 at 15:39:48
Message:

You have soooooo many good options there. I'd suggest Bogota first--5th and St. Johns...they make a giant mixed plate of steak, rice, beans, avocado, salad, etc--it's something I usually share with someone else, so as to be able to try some of their yummy appetizers, ceviche, empanandas, etc. V. reasonably priced. Walk further down on 5th toward Flatbush and you've got unpretentious spot Red Cafe, or Total Wine Bar if you want to just snacks. I've heard good things about Miram, but I don't know it.

What I Did On My Day Off

PlayStation: Warriors.

Bogota Latin Bistro Brunch Menu

Bogota Latin Bistro
Sunday Brunch 12PM-4PM

Price Fix 11.95
No Substitutions or Alterations

Beverages (choice of one)
Mimosa: mango, passion fruit, guava or orange
Bloody Maria (bogota’s spicy version using tequila & colombian aji)
Refajo Colombiano (aguila beer mixed with colombiana la nuestra!)
Café Con Leche
Chocolate Caliente
Juice: mango, passion fruit, guava or orange

Entrees (choice of one)
Arroz Con Pollo
shredded chicken mixed with yellow rice, carrots, red peppers, cilantro & scallions, served with avocado, maduros, colombian aji & side of black beans
Colombian Breakfast
scrambled eggs with scallions & tomato, vegetarian calentado (red beans and white rice mixture) & arepa with butter & queso blanco
Costa Rican Breakfast
scrambled eggs, gallo pinto, maduros, sour cream, tortillas & fruit salad
Dominican Breakfast
sunny side-up egg, mangu (mashed green plantains topped with pickled onions), queso frito, fried salami & mixed green salad
Mexican Breakfast
scrambled eggs with tomato, onion & jalapeno, chorizo, tortillas, ensalada mixto & rice & beans
French Toast
french toast flavored with cinnamon & cloves, fruit salad
Bandeja Paisa (add $2)
grilled skirt steak, chicharron, arepa, rice & beans, fried egg, maduros & avocado
Cuban Sandwich
roast pork, ham, swiss cheese, pickles, chipotle mayo, served with french fries & ensalada mixto
Skirt Steak & Scrambled Eggs (add $2)
skirt steak, scrambled eggs, ensalada mixto, yuca home fries
Chicken Tamale
cornmeal tamale stuffed with shredded chicken, string beans, carrots & potatoes, wrapped in banana leaf, served with colombian aji and sour cream.
Grilled Salmon (add $2)
served with fruit salad & yucca home fries

Sides:
Meats chorizo (spicy sausage) $5 fried salami or chicharron (fried pork rind) $2
Eggs $3 scrambled or sunny side up
Salads $5 (ensalada mixto or fruit salad)
Rice $2 (white or yellow) / Beans $2 (red or vegetarian black)
Plantains $3 (maduros, tostones or mangu)
Fries $3 (french fries or yuca home fries)

A La Carte:
Arepa (Colombian white cornmeal cake) topped w/
butter 2.
butter & queso blanco 3.
chicharron 4.
Arepa de Chocolo (sweet yellow cornmeal cake) topped w/
butter & queso blanco 4.
Bunuelos
colombian deep fried dough balls, served with guava butter 3.
Argentinean-style Empanada
beef picadillo with chipotle-tomato sauce 3.
guava & cream cheese with sweet guava sauce 3.
Colombian-style Empanada
shredded chicken & potato with homemade colombian aji 3.50
domino - black bean and white cheese with sour cream 3.50
Shrimp Ceviche 8.
shrimp ceviche, red onion, tomato, avocado, cucumber, jalapeno
Sancocho (Colombian Stew) 6.
chicken, pork ribs, corn, plantains, yucca, potatoes, cilantro broth
Ajiaco 6.
chicken & three potato soup, corn, side of cilantro, capers, avocado & heavy cream
Hearts of Palm Salad 7.
mixed greens, watercress, hearts of palm, tomato, garlic dressing, plantain chips
Avocado & Watercress Salad 8.
avocado, red onion, watercress, tomato, cucumber, garlic dressing, root vegetable strips

Desserts
Flan De Coco brazilian style coconut flan 4.
Mazamorra colombian dessert made with crushed white corn & milk served with
panela (packed brown sugar cane) & bocadillo (candied guava paste) 4.
Churros mexican pastry sticks with colombian chocolate sauce 5.
Orange Pound Cake 5.
Chocolate Layered Cake 6.
Obleas colombian snack made by spreading arequipe (dulce de leche) between two thin wafers 3.
Acai wild amazon palm berry fruit puree that provides natural energy and is loaded with antioxidants. This brazilian snack is served chilled with sliced bananas and granola. 6.
Sorbet / Gelato Plate (choice of 2 scoops) 5.
gelato – dulce de leche, chocolate jalapeno, vanilla ice cream
sorbet – coconut, mango, passion fruit

Beverages
Postobon Colombian Sodas 2.50.
colombiana la nuestra! (bubble gum), naranja, manzana, pina or Uva
Guarana Antarctica: brazilian soda made from amazonian fruit 2.50.
Juices: mango, passion fruit, guava, cranberry, orange or pineapple 4.
Coffee: regular or decaf 2. Teas: lipton, green, chamomile or peppermint 2.

Espresso 3. Cappuccino 4. (all available in decaf)
Café Con Leche 4. Chocolate Caliente 4.

Customer Comment...

". . . it seems every time I go Bogota is getting more and more popular. "

It's true.

Monday "All Night Long" Happy Hour

On Monday's we have 'happy hour' all night long. That means $5.00 mojitos and $4.00 beers in addition to a few other goodies. See you at Bogota tonight.

Random Thoughts On My Day In the Restauant

In this industry, it's impossible to please everyone. It will never happen. One can aim to do one's best but there will never be pleasing everyone 100% of the time.

I can own up to the mistakes done on the restaurant's part, whether it's from the kitchen, the servers or myself. We are doing our best to correct those situations. Everyday we have a staff meeting where we run through the daily aims and long term goals of this restaurant in addition to sharing with the staff better ways to ensure the smooth running of Bogota as a restaurant.

In some cases, some folks are just very demanding and no amount of brown-nosing, giving them free drinks, taking something off the menu or profuse apologies is going to make them happy. No, nothing short of berating my staff in front of other customers, criticizing the restaurant, writing nasty or sarcastic comments on the back of receipts or napkins will give them the sort of satisfaction that I was not able to provide them. It's part of the industry.

If I'm pleasing 99% of my customers, I'm very happy. The fact is that while there are people who have walked away from the restaurant dissatisfied for one reason or another and who may never come back (and I'm truly sorry that that is the case), there are SO SO many fans who love the restaurant. They absolutely love Bogota. They have been absolutely wonderful and it has been really satisfying doing our best to consistently please them each time they are here.

It periodically blows me away to know that I'm managing a real hot restaurant. So many people come here because they're friends recommended it to them. So many. I'm blown away by this when I stop to think about it.